Antique Motorcycle Club of America

May, 2016

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SUNFLOWER CHAPTER MEETINGSMonthly meetings of the Sunflower Chapter are held at 6:30 PM on the lastWednesday of each month. The meeting site is Spears Restaurant at 4323West Maple Street, Wichita, Kansas. SUNFLOWER CHAPTER NEWSLETTERThe Sunflower Chapter Newsletter is published quarterly and distributed toSunflower Chapter members, AMCA Chapters, AMCA Officers, Sunflow-er Sponsors, and Sunflower commercial advertisers. SUNFLOWER CHAPTER MEMBERSHIPMembership in the Antique Motorcycle Club of America is required to beeligible for membership in the Sunflower Chapter of the AMCA. Dues are$20.00 per calendar year, and membership is open to any member of theAMCA. Members of the Sunflower Chapter will receive four issues of theclub newsletter, and a membership card, SUNFLOWER SPONSORSSponsors will receive four issues of the Sunflower Chapter Newsletter inreturn for a $20.00 annual donation.

President Vice President Jim Wellemeyer Larry Burke 1718 N. Illinois 2920 Cornelison Wichita, KS 67213 Wichita, KS 67203 (316) 942-0160 (316) 838-8691

Secretary/Treasurer Director Kelly Wardell Terry Sawyer 157 SW 200th Street 1238 N. Doris Douglass, KS 67039 Wichita, KS 67212 (316) 747-3244 (316) 942-1320

Director Editor Kevin Moore Jim Wellemeyer 411 South Millwood Wichita, KS 67213 (316) 519-0919

SUNFLOWER CHAPTERof the

Antique Motorcycle Club of America

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PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE

See you on the road, Jim Wellemeyer

Hello all you gear heads. It’s the first of May and by nowthose bikes shouldn’t need anything but gas and oil to be ready to roll.I finally got things lined out on my 48 Chief and a couple of weeks agotook it on its maiden ride around the block. Since then I have stayedclose to home in the surrounding neighborhoods. Since this is my firstfoot clutch and tank shift, the side streets gave me room to kill it andnot get run over. I finally got the hang of it and will be out on the roadsoon.

The local vintage bike community is buzzing with new venuesthis year. Sunflower member Kelly Modlin has opened his TwistedOz museum in Augusta, you can read more about that in a separatearticle. Chapter member Mike Bahnmaier has been working with thecity of St. Francis to open an antique motorcycle museum there.

Plans are progressing for the Sunflower National Road RunOctober 3 – 5. Registrations have started to come in and we areexpecting a good turnout. If you have never been to a National RoadRun, you Kansas Sunflower members won’t a have better opportunitythan this. On the Sunflower web site you can register for the event andreserve a hotel room. For those of you who prefer filling out formswith a pen, and licking stamps there is a form in this issue of thenewsletter.

The National is holding the AMCA Lucas Oil VintageMotorcycle Classic, AMCA's newest National event at BarberMotorsports Park on May 27-29 in Birmingham, Alabama. There is aswap meet with space for 500 vendors, commercial displays, The Wallof Death, a Kids Zone, Field Games, and Concessions. They areproviding each Chapter with space in the Chapter display area withspace for vehicles and tents. Robbie and I are going to represent theSunflower Chapter, if you are interested in going, contact me. Nocharge to camp, just purchase a regular weekend pass. I hope some ofyou can make the trip.

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First the patient had to be diagnosed so a properremedy could be prescribed.

What do you do when your vintage Indian side car brace lookslike snake that swallowed a big cork screw? Well first you consultsomeone with the engineering specs, or in this case Gene Harperwho had a side brace that had not been modified. Then make apattern of it.

Then you have to find someone with the knowledge, tools, andexpertise of a blacksmith. Buud Redmond was the first personwho popped into Larry Burkes mind. A visit to Buud’s shop on asunny March afternoon was just what the doctor ordered for theailing snake.

The Case of the Sick Serpent

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After the diagnosis, treatment could begin. As is the casewith many physical therapy prescriptions, heat is applied to theafflicted area. Selection of the proper method of heat deliverywas critical.

The Case of the Sick Serpent

Hey Buud, that may be enough heat to sooth the patients pain,but I don’t think its enough to effect a cure.

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The Case of the Sick Serpent

Once the patient is sufficiently warmed up there is somemanipulation required. With the patient laid out on the messagetable, in this case a 3 ton surface plate, the pressure could beapplied to the area of concern. Again the correct instruments hadto be selected. Using a combination of porta-power, the treadlehammer, the arbor press, and a hydraulic jack, the serpent began torecover.

Now that torch should do the job. Application of the heat hadto be in just the right location, and Buud guided heat to just theright location.

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After the work out, the diagnosis prescribed more heat, andfinally some stretching to get everything back into originalalignment.

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Buud’s blacksmith schooling must have included some physicaltherapy training also. With all the kinks worked out, this patient isready to go back to work pulling that sidecar alongside of a 1928Indian Four..

The Case of the Sick Serpent

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Garage Tour 2016

The Sunflower Garage Tour is an annual event that showsoff our members personal collections. They can be small backyardgarage displays of a few individual bikes or a large warehouse ofamazing variety. This year included a little of everything and wehad members come from Nebraska, Missouri, and Oklahoma aswell as Wichita and surrounding Kansas cities.

The morning started by meeting at Emilia’s restaurant withsome coffee and or breakfast. The first stop was Ellis Brady’shome and a visit to his garage and shop. Ellis’s garage was filledwith a wide-ranging assortment of vintage bikes. The tour groupwhich number about 50, almost overwhelmed the space available.Never the less Ellis was a gracious host and we all enjoyed seeinghis collection.

Ellis’s neighbors must have wondered what was going on..

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Garage Tour 2016

Dick Chance hosted the next stop at Chance Rides, a longtime manufacturer of amusement rides. Dick had recently movedhis collection of antique motorcycles to a remodeled area in thecorporate offices building. This now serves as Dick’s shop and“man cave”. Dick explained the history of some of the bikes whichincluded some very early bikes like the 1908 Curtiss and a 1940Indian Scout which Dick rode to a Bonneville Class record speed of101 mph.

Looks like the bikes have kept Ellis busy since he retired.

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Tours of the manufacturing facility were given by Chanceemployees, and a BBQ lunch, provided by Dick, topped off thevisit.

Jeff Roth explains the trains that Chance builds.

Jerry Ottaway and Sharon Hewitt pose beside a CP Huningtontrain engine in the assembly process.

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After lunch and some fellowship we moved on to Scott Hall’splace.

(Continued on page 16)

Garage Tour 2016

Dick Chance with the Ottaway Steam Engine #1.

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Sunflower Roam on theRange

Registration Form

For all those who don’t speak computerese, youcan remove this page fill out the form and mail it inwith your registration fee.

A much easier way to register can be found on ourweb page, www.sunfloweramca.org . The RoadRun page has a link where you can fill out theregistration and have it charged to your credit card.

There is also a link that will take you to the Marriottreservation page for our group rate at the MarriottCourtyard.

Make plans now to attend.

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Scott has filled one of his buildings at Hall’s IndustrialServices with a massive collection of motoring paraphernalia.Nothing exemplifies the diversity of his collection more thanElbert, a 1929 Hudson truck that’s not really a truck, but rathertwo 1929 Hudson sedans grafted together. In addition to Elbert,there were Brough Superior motorcycles, a Brough car, a Simplexcar, WWII vintage aircraft engines, numerous other vintage bikesand parts. It’s enough to boggle the average enthusiasts mind. ARolls Royce Griffon V-12 engine, still preserved from overhaul,and an Allison V-12 that Scott fired up, were examples of WWIIengines that powered aircraft like the legendary Mustang P-51.

Garage Tour 2016

Elbert is a side show of it’s own.

(Continued from page 11)

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Garage Tour 2016

Scott Hall works the throttle to keep the massive four cylinderof the 1913 Simplex running

Wedged in between gas pumps, the Allison V-12, and theSimplex is a rare 1934 Brough car

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Garage Tour 2016

The final stop was the Twisted Oz motorcycle museum inAugusta. More about this stop and Kelly Modlins museum in aseparate article in this issue.

Many thanks to Ellis Brady, Dick Chance, and ScottHall, for making this year’s Garage Tour a great day.

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Larry Burkes 1928 Model 401Larry purchased the bike in January of 2005 from Howard

Wagner. After talking to Howard on New Year’s Day at theSunflower finning party, Larry wasted no time in getting toHoward’s place and checking out the Indian which was laid out inan orderly fashion in Howard’s basement. Larry was anxious tosecure the deal with a down payment but Howard was asking forfull payment. So a few days later Jerry Ottaway and Larryreturned to Omaha to load up the bike and bring it to Wichita.

The Indian Four was built by Indian MotorcycleCompany from 1928 to 1942. It was based on the Acemotorcycle. Indian bought the Ace Motor Corporation in 1927.In 1928, the Indian Ace was replaced by the Indian 401 andAugust 1 1928 marked the first year of production for the IndianFour.

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So Larry set out on a journey into the past, collecting asmuch information as he could find about the Indian. He wanted torestore the bike as accurately as possible, and of course Howardprovided many pieces of information and advice. Larry’s skillsand attention to detail have produced this excellent example of thefirst year Indian Four. The 2016 Omaha Chapter National Meetprovided the first measure Larry’s efforts. At the meet, the IndianFour was judged and was awarded a score of 98 points.

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Twisted Oz

Step into Kelly Modlin’s Twisted Oz Antique MotorcycleMuseum and you take a step back into early days of motorcycling.April 1st Kelly’s vision of a place to display antique motorcyclesbecame a reality. More than a museum, the Twisted Oz is a lifesize diorama with vintage motorcycles displayed in againstrealistic backgrounds of the period.

Kelly has assembled various pieces of old barns, farmbuildings, even a bank teller cage inside the old Chevy dealershipbody shop. Then he set a wonderful collection of vintage, rare,and one of a kind motorcycles, as they would have appeareddecades ago. Jerry Ottaway has placed many of his bikes in themuseum and frequently he can be seen there explaining the detailsof the machines.

The Twisted Oz Museum is located in Augusta KS, atUS 400 and Lulu Street. The museum is open 10 am - 5 pmWednesday thru Sunday. Stop in and take a trip to the past.

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Sunflower Chapter members, Kelly Modlin and Jerry Ottawayare sharing their vintage motorcycle history.

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MEMBER CLASSIFIED ADS

******************************Note, if you don’t receive regular email an-nouncements, we don’t have your currentemail address. To update send it tojwellemeyer@cox.net.

The Sunflower Chapter welcomes thesenew members

Jon Lofgreen Lyle Henry

Antique Motorcycle Swap MeetJune 4th and 5th

Free Admission1380 South Jason Street

Denver CO.Presented by the Rocky

Mountain ChapterContact 503-705-3633

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COMMERCIAL ADS

Custom metal fabricator, TIG welding, Custom Paint

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COMMERCIAL ADS

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May 25th ~ Sunflower Chapter monthly meeting at Spears Restaurant,4323 West Maple (6:30 PM)

June 27th ~ Sunflower Chapter monthly meeting at Spears Restaurant,4323 West Maple (6:30 PM)

August 31st ~ Sunflower Chapter monthly meeting at Spears Restau-rant, 4323 West Maple (6:30 PM)

September 28th ~ Sunflower Chapter monthly meeting at SpearsRestaurant, 4323 West Maple (6:30 PM)

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October 3-5th ~ Sunflower Chapter National Road Run. More detailsin this issue

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The Sunflower Chapter Newsletter will be published in February,May, August, and November. The deadline date for each issue willbe the last day of the month preceding the month of publication.Please send articles, tips, humor, event dates, notices, personal ads,etc. to the editor as early as possible. Material submitted after thedeadline will be published if page space is available.

Sunflower Website ~ www.sunfloweramca.org

SUNFLOWER CALENDAR OF EVENTS

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NATIONAL MEETSFeb 26-27 Omaha Chapter Fremont, NEMar 4-5 Sunshine Chapter New Smyrna Beach, FLApr 22-23 Perkiomen Chapter Oley, PAMay 20-22 Southern National Denton, NCMay 27-29 AMCA Lucas Oil Classic Birmingham,ALMay 27-29 European Chapter Raalte, NetherlandsJune 10-12 Viking Chapter St. Paul, MNJune 17-18 Fort Sutter Chapter Dixon, CAJuly 1-2 Rhinebeck National Rhinebeck, NYJuly 15-17 Wauseon Meet Wauseon, OHAug 5-7 Yankee Chapter Hebron, CTSept 30-Oct 1 Chesapeake Chapter Jefferson, PA

AMCA 2016 SCHEDULE OF EVENTS

NATIONAL ROAD RUNSJune 1-3 Phoenix Road Runner Road Run, Kanab, UTSept 6-8 Roosevelt National Road Run, Detroit Lakes, MNSept 25-28 Blue Ridge National Road Run, Asheville, NCOct 3-5 Sunflower National Road Run, Junction City, KS